Melting Pot Cafe,
Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur,
2, Jalan Sultan Ismail,
50250 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2144 2200
Business Hours: 24 hours, daily.
WITH Ramadan just around the corner, a buka puasa feast awaits you at Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur, boasting an array of delightful local favourites from around Malaysia.
Held at Melting Pot Cafe, diners can expect to be taken on a culinary journey down memory lane as most items in the sumptuous spread have been specially crafted to evoke familiar tastes and aromas.
According to chef Abbas Ali Khuda Maksh, the uniqueness about this year’s buffet menu is that he has chosen a kampung speciality from 11 states in peninsular Malaysia and some of his own family recipes.
“The fish head curry is one of my favourites and those who have been to Penang would instantly know the distinctive taste of Penang home-cooked curries.
“Another speciality from Kelantan is Nasi Kerabu Biru. This is a special dish one should try, as a variety of ingredients used are daun selom, kerisik, serunding ayam, bean sprouts, cabbage, cucumber, french beans, salted eggs and four-angled beans,” said Abbas, adding that the dish is accompanied with bird’s eye chillies and a Kelantan speciality – budu.
Chinese fare: Halal dim sum is also available.
Budu is a fermented anchovy sauce, which is usually added with chillies, onions and lemon juice, and eaten with rice and ulam.
“Apart from that the Ikan Keli Tempoyak, Ikan Asam Keladi and the all-time favourite Gear Box Soup is also not to be missed.
“What’s special about the Ikan Asam Keladi is that I’ve used yam instead of noodles in the laksa gravy and one should not miss this appetising dish,” said the 45-year-old, who hails from Penang, adding that there are three buffet menus, each with about 90 dishes that will rotate on a daily basis.
A good way to start the meal is by raiding the salad bar, which is packed to the brim with various types of ulam, pickles, appetisers and Ramadan must haves – dates, dried apricots and figs. Various types of sauces have been prepared by Abbas to accompany the ulam such as sambal belacan, bird’s eye chillies with sweet soy sauce, cencaluk and sambal tumis among others.
For mains, take a look under the lid of the chafing dishes to find delicious items like Gulai Ikan Tongkol, Johor’s favourite Sotong Masak Hitam, Botok-botok, Negri Sembilan’s spicy Ketam Berlado, Rendang Ayam Pucuk Ubi and Telur Itik Lemak Belimbing.
Seafood to enjoy: Prawns prepared in a sambal style.
However, do not miss Abbas’s masterpieces such as Sup Tulang Sambal Kicap, Mee Udang, Mee Ketam, Lamb Kuzi Berempah, Gulai Daging Kerisik Pucuk Pisang, Sambal Perut Terung Asam, Kambing Masak Kacang Pool, Udang Masak Peria Putih, Sayur Lontong (dry), Pulut Kuning with Sambal Ikan Bilis, Burung Puyuh Berempah and Kepah Goreng Lada Hijau.
You would be surprised to find that the restaurant has chose to maintain its Teppanyaki Corner and Cold on Ice section, as these are their hot-selling items on a daily basis. You will find a display of fresh oysters, green shell mussels, flower crabs and tiger prawns among others in these sections.
Another interesting feature is the ‘World of Briyani’ — Abbas’s family’s favourite. I totally enjoyed the Briyani with Burung Puyuh though the Briyani Kepala Ikan was also tempting and I had it with Kari Kepala Ikan (Fish Head Curry), which was a total indulgence as the aroma of the spices used was truly captivating. But, the friendly chef mentioned that the Briyani with Daging Rusa and Daging Kerbau were a sumptuous meal much sought after by diners.
Those who have a craving for Penang curries, I strongly recommend Abbas’s Kari Kepala Ikan and having this with Roti Benggali for supper would be simply awesome!
Another interesting concept created by Concorde this year is the Teratak Chef Abbas, which will be held at Concorde Ballroom.
There will be various hawker stalls where chefs and the banquet team will be whipping up delicious mouth-watering dishes a la minute.
If you love desserts, do not miss skipping this section, as Melting Pot Cafe offers a wide selection of cakes, puddings, pies and sweet appetisers, among others.
As for entertainment, I was truly amazed by Begema 5 Strollers’ strong vocals when they rendered Batak songs and a medley of Malay and English numbers. I was also told that they (the strollers) are a favourite among royalty and perform during special occasions like Sultan’s birthdays and weddings.
The strollers will be performing at both venues (Melting Pot Cafe and Ballroom) during this period.
Teratak Chef Abbas at Concorde Ballroom will only start on the second week of Ramadan and is priced at RM75.00++ per person, while the Ramadan buffet spread at Melting Pot Cafe is priced at RM89.00++ per person. 5% discount will be offered to children aged five to 12 years old.
Other special offers in store for diners are 15 to 20% discount for Concorde Entertainment Card Members, 20% discount for CIMB cardholders and a special package for group bookings at ‘Teratak Chef Abbas’. Concorde also caters for private ‘buka puasa’ events.
For Sahur, nightly buffet supper will be ongoing at Melting Pot Cafe with teochew porridge, nasi lemak, mee mamak, make your own sandwiches corner, chic kut teh. This is priced at RM39++ per person.
For reservations and prior bookings, call 03-2144 2200 (ext 2337), This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
